CD Reviews

Solid guitar-orientated progressive rock

06/19/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you look for more than "three minutes songs about teenage love" in your rock music then this instrumental recording may be for you.Djam Karet has been compared to King Crimson, Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead.The comparisons to King Crimson is certainly warrented. They both produce a wild, syncopated heavy-metal sound at times, but DK do not push the envelope as much as the King (Crimson that is). DK have softer more dreamy moments that do bear some resemblance to Pink Floyd. I haven't listened to much Grateful Dead, so I can't really comment on that comparison, expect to say that the recording does contain a number of rip-roaring, improv guitar solos (which I gather the Grateful Dead are known for).The CD has over 70 miuntes of music so its "minutes of music per dollar" rating is pretty good (if that matters to you).I have 3 of DK's CDs, all of them excellent, but this (in my opinion) is the best of them."

Spacy Floydian Dreamscapes

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 04/28/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is my second outing with Djam Karet. Though some may feel it is unfair to compare them to Pink Floyd or to anyone else, after listening to Devouring a number of times, I think that's the best point of reference when attempting to describe the music. Like PF at its best, Devouring has a dreamy sense of other-worldliness to it. One can just lay back, crank the CD player up, and soar into another realm upon the wings of this recording.
Despite the fact that the band's style can be likened to that of the legendary Pink Floyd, it is by no means a slavish copy. The musicians are obviously accomplished in their own right and they demonstrate their virtuosity repeatedly during this hour-plus music fest.
Though I more or less enjoy the entire CD, my favorite cuts are the Night of the Mexican Goat Sucker, the Floydian Forbidden By Rule and the enigmatic Room 40. The weakest cut, in my opinion, is Old Soldiers' Disease. And the liner notes give only the most basic information.
This CD may not be to every taste, but if you are a dedicated prog-rock fan you may want to give it a shot. The spacy Floydian dreamscapes woven here will carry you away."

Pleasing product of highly competent musicians

Kurt Harding | 06/06/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Djam Karet is one of those bands that's very much an acquired taste. You can't hand just anyone a Djam Karet CD and expect that they'll fall in love on the first listen. However, if you know somebody whose interests run toward progressive rock, then point them toward this excellent recording.Djam Karet (literally, "the hour that stretches") is very much like King Crimson (although, as another reviewer fairly stated, they do not seem to be as overtly experimental as King Crimson.) Comparisons to Pink Floyd are warranted, I would go so far as to say that Phish fans might also enjoy this record (I happen to be one, and I like it, at least.) The record is heavily guitar-oriented, although not exclusively so, and the musicians make use of a broad array of instruments in constructing this music. (One wonders, however, if the music could be played live without the help of ten of the band's closest friends.) The tracks themselves are quite excellent, I would suggest that they would make excellent background music but also are interesting enough to merit a sit-down listen alone with just you and the record, to see what the record has to say. This is music with teeth in it, that is at times aggressive but at times quite contemplative as well. The tracks generally are six to eight minutes long, with a few shorter and the longest, "Old Soldier's Disease", clocking in at eleven minutes four seconds. For those used to the three-minute pop song, these tracks probably seem excessively long; for those used to listening to Phish or the Grateful Dead in concert, these barely qualify as "long" at all. (An aside: I saw another reviewer say that some have compared Djam Karet to the Grateful Dead. As comparisons go, it's not a particularly good fit, although colorably it is if you consider only the Dead's musical experimentation like "Blues for Allah" or "Cryptical Envelopment" rather than their overall sound. Generally speaking, comparing a band to the Grateful Dead is like saying that something tastes like chicken.)The bottom line is that this is a very well constructed record that will satisfy most fans of progressive rock."

Great Atmospheric Musical Journey

mobby_uk | London United Kingdom | 06/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Djam Karet is one of the best american bands to arrive in the last few years,and after Kansas the most talented and original progressive rock band that side of the atlantic. Yet the comparison with messers Walsh and Livgren ends here, as Djam Karet have developed their own sound which is totally instrumental.
Their music is very atmospheric, melodic with great guitar solos, complemented by expansive keyboards, and powerful bass and drumming.
The lack of any lyrics, give the talented musicians the freedom to develop the music, and expand the solos, which are at times very Floydean, at others reminding me of the solos of Norwegian band Tangle Edge, but remaining original throughout.
Devouring is, in my opinion, their best release to date, and I recommend it highly as a good start to this excellent band.
The compositions are somehow tighter compared to their other albums.
My favorite track is the wonderfully titled the Myth of White Jesus..a short meditative piece with great guitar..really beautiful music! yet all the tracks are great without exception, especially the opener, Night of the Mexican Goat Sucker.
Progressive rock has never had a big market in US, and to listen to bands such as Djam Karet sticking to their creative musical vision gives us, music lovers, hope that not all is lost to the corporate machine..and Devouring is a very good example of that..a MUST BUY!"